The Process of Formation and Functioning of Social Norms from the Perspective of the Qur'an and Philosophical Anthropology

Norms are one of the most important and most prominent cultural components and are the most effective factors in the formation of individual and collective identities. This paper examines the process of the emergence of norms and their most important functions using the philosophical anthropological analysis (psychology) and the enquiring the holy Quran. In this paper, by analyzing the process of taking voluntary actions and their intellectual and spiritual effects, it has become clear that, based on the philosophical anthropology and divine verses, firstly, the factor which causes a society or person to regard certain behaviors or behavioral patterns as normal and prefer them to other forms of behavior, is the principles and foundations of axiology, which themselves are based on the worldview and are the consequents of it. Secondly, the most important function of norms is to strengthen and consolidate the same axiological foundations and cosmological thoughts, and of course, this fundamental function itself has other subfunctions, such as the consolidation of values in the society, the resolution of disagreements and the realization of the solidarity.